Shared reading activities for kindergarten
12 Post-Reading Activity Ideas for Shared Reading (K-2)
Want your students to “do something” with the shared reading text after shared reading is over? Sure, they can draw or write about the text, but sometimes it’s fun to do something a little different!
In today’s quick post, I share 12 activities that students can complete after a shared reading experience. Most of these activities work great for literacy centers or Daily Five!
Photo Credits: AnatasiaNi, Shutterstock
1. Reread the same text! Simple, I know, but primary kiddos love to have a chance to reread the same text that you read during shared reading! Big books are especially fun; let them use your special pointer too! Even if you don’t use big books, try to find multiple copies of the text. If you’re doing shared reading with a poem, it’s even easier to get it into the hands of students. Just make copies and allow them to keep the poems in a folder or independent reading bag!
2. Do an alphabet letter, sight word, or phonics pattern hunt with the text. Again, this is super simple, but practicing letters, sight words, and phonics patterns is even more meaningful when our students do it in the context of a real text. Specify a print feature that students should look for, and use some detective props to make the activity super engaging.
3. Illustrate a poem or text without words. This is a great opportunity for students to demonstrate comprehension of the text! Students can illustrate poems or even nonfiction articles.
4. Perform a Reader’s Theatre version of the text. Any story can be turned into a Reader’s Theatre and performed by your students! You can create the Reader’s Theatre text, the class can work together to create it as a shared writing activity, or students can create them in partners/small groups. Students can then practice and perform their scripts!
5. Sequence pictures to show what happened in the text.
Use clipart or photos to have students sequence events in the text. Or have students create their own pictures and then have a friend sequence them!
6. Complete a cloze reading passage activity based on the text. A cloze reading passage is one that has words missing from it. Students have to fill in missing words from a word bank. Let’s say that your shared reading text was about bats. You might use the same facts (or even parts of the actual text) for the cloze reading activity.
Example:
Bats are nocturnal, which means that they sleep during the _______. At night, they hunt or find food. Bats eat many different things. Some bats ____ fruit. Other bats eat insects.
7. Draw thought or speech bubbles for the characters at various points in the text. This activity is tons of fun AND allows kids to demonstrate their comprehension. If you are using large enough books, students can take large sticky notes and write thought / speech bubbles for the characters (and then stick them on the actual pages of the text).
Or, photocopy specific images from the text (always follow Fair Use guidelines) and have students add thought or speech bubbles.
8. Match dialogue to characters. Present students with the names and pictures of different characters. Provide them with strips of paper that have different dialogue parts from the text. Have students play “Who Said What?” and match the dialogue to the correct character. You can also play “Who WOULD Say That?” and provide students with imaginary dialogue. (Students have to use what they know about a character to figure out who would say what.)
9. Create additional text features. Once your students have learned about text features, have them “help” an author by adding things like labels, captions, and maps to the texts you read.
10. Write headings for a nonfiction text without headings. This is a great activity for when you’re beginning to teach summarizing, main idea, or main topic! In order to write a heading, students need to understand what a section is mostly about.
11. Write or answer riddles about the text. You can create riddles for students to answer, or students can create their own riddles. For example, let’s say that your shared reading text was about different types of snakes. A possible riddle might be: “I am small, green, and not poisonous. Who am I?” (Students have to identify the snake named in the book.) Or, here’s a fiction example using Jack and the Beanstalk: I lived in the giant’s castle until Jack took me. Now I help Jack and his mother every day. Who am I?” (The goose that lays golden eggs)
12. Read a related text. You can present students with different options for “digging deeper.” This might mean that you provide books by the same author, different version of the same fairy tale, other texts on the same nonfiction topic, or a nonfiction text about something related to the topic of a fictional story. This promotes students’ curiosity and helps them learn to make connections between texts!
BONUS!
I know that I said there would be 12 ideas, but here’s one last bonus one! 🙂
Create a commercial for the book.
Students can create a print or video ad to promote the book. These commercials can be shared with other classes or even posted in the hallway for other students to see.
More Shared Reading Resources
Want some FREE reading lesson plans for Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade? You can grab a week of each grade level at this link (for free)!
Want to go more in depth on teaching reading in K-2? Sign up to watch a free online workshop here:
Or do you need done-for-you shared reading lessons to teach? To view my Kindergarten, first grade, or second grade shared reading units, click HERE.
Happy teaching!
ReferencesFountas, I., & Pinnell, G. S. (2016). The Fountas and Pinnell Literacy Continuum: Expanded Edition. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Parkes, B. (2000). Read it again!: Revisiting shared reading. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Shared Reading | Classroom Strategies
Shared Reading is an interactive reading experience that occurs when students join in or share the reading of a book or other text while guided and supported by a teacher.
The teacher explicitly models the skills of proficient readers, including reading with fluency and expression. The shared reading model often uses oversized books (referred to as big books) with enlarged print and illustrations.
| When to use: | Before reading | During reading | After reading |
| How to use: | Individually | With small groups | Whole class setting |
More fluency strategies
Why use shared reading?
- It provides struggling readers with necessary support.
- Shared reading of predictable text can build sight word knowledge and reading fluency
- Allows students to enjoy materials that they may not be able to read on their own.
- Ensures that all students feel successful by providing support to the entire group.
How to use shared reading
- Introduce the story by discussing the title, cover, and author/illustrator.
Ask the students to make predictions regarding what they think the story might be about. - Read the story aloud to the students using appropriate inflection and tone. Pause and ask the students to make predictions. Ask brief questions to determine students' comprehension level.
- Conclude the reading by reserving time for reactions and comments. Ask questions about the story and relate the story to the students' similar experiences. Ask the children to retell the story in their own words.
- Re-read the story and/or allow time for independent reading.
- Conduct follow-up activities such as making crafts related to the story.
Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom: Shared Reading in Kindergarten
Give students with an opportunity to practice reading fluency and expression through a shared reading with the class. The teacher asks questions as she reads to help students stay engaged. See the lesson plan.
This video is published with permission from the Balanced Literacy Diet. See many more related how-to videos with lesson plans in the Reading Fluency and Expression section.
Collect resources
Language Arts
This site gives teachers some ideas for using shared reading with younger students and less skilled readers. See example >
Science
This site offers several examples of how activities related to learning about science topics can be centered around the shared reading strategy. Downloads of several different poems are provided. See example >
Social Studies
This site provides five examples of shared reading lessons based upon the book Map It! by Elspeth Leacock. See example >
Shared Reading Booklists
Differentiated instruction
For second language learners, students of varying reading skill, and for younger learners
- Teachers may wish to have Spanish copies of the shared reading books.
- Books can be kept in an area accessible to students for independent and familiar rereading by students.
- Ask students to write their own similar story using the same theme or sentence/language pattern of the book that has been shared.
- Teachers can use sentence strips and have students can retell or build the story by putting the strips in order.
- Have students write their predictions based upon what would happen next if the story were to continue.
Related resources
See the research that supports this strategy
Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (1996). Guided Reading, Good First Teaching for All Children. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann
Children's books to use with this strategy
Weather: Poems for All Seasons
By: Lee Bennett Hopkins
Genre: Poetry
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Easier to read poems focus on weather and seasons.
The Tree that Time Built: A Celebration of Nature, Science and Imagination
By: Mary Ann Hoberman
Genre: Poetry
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader
Clearly organized with lucid introductions to each section as well as for select poems, this handsome anthology includes a range of poems and poets for an evocative, informative, and often inspiring look at science and nature.
Honey I Love and Other Poems
By: Eloise Greenfield, Diane Dillon
Genre: Poetry, Fiction
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader
A collection of poetry conveys the joys of a young girl.
Emma's Yucky Brother
By: Jean Little, Jennifer Plecas
Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Beginning Reader
Emma is thrilled that her family is adopting a 4-year old boy. She soon learns, though, that being an older sister isn’t what she thought it would be at all. Gradually, Emma and Max start to feel like siblings as each child begins to adapt to their family's new configuration. Expressive, simply drawn illustrations extend the smooth text.
Comments
Modern forms of work with parents to introduce preschoolers to fiction
Family, family reading play a paramount role in introducing a preschooler to fiction.
What are the problems facing the modern family in terms of introducing children to literature?
At present, the family is in a state of crisis, and due to a number of objective reasons, its impact on the formation of a child as a future reader is difficult. This process is not facilitated by the low pedagogical literacy of many parents, the difficult financial situation of families, and the lack of due attention to the process of developing a child's interest in children's literature on the part of parents. Modern children spend more and more time playing computer games and watching TV. Some parents, making attempts to introduce their child to reading, face the problem of keeping children's attention, the inability to interest the preschooler in the plot of the work. As a result, they leave this occupation, believing that the child is simply not interested. Parents often think that reading books to a child is fun, a child's pastime. Read books to children rarely due to lack of time and employment, hastily.
It happens that parents do not buy books at all or acquire books that do not correspond to the child's age capabilities.
The organization of interaction in this direction between teachers and parents will help to change the current situation.
The main goal of this interaction: help parents realize the value of reading books to children as a means of education and upbringing of preschoolers.
Tasks in the organization of family reading are as follows:
- to acquaint parents with the age characteristics of preschoolers in terms of the perception of works of children's fiction and educational literature
‒ involve families in reading
‒ expand their understanding of children's literature
‒ introduce parents to different types of home reading, taking into account the interests and needs of preschoolers
- to teach parents to lead the upbringing of children as future readers, to involve them in interaction with the preschool educational institution
‒ to give recommendations on the discussion, playing with perceived works of art, organizing a book corner at home.
All forms of work with parents in this area can be divided into information-analytical, cognitive, leisure, visual-informational.
informational include
‒ Conducting surveys, surveys “About reading in the family”; "Favorite book of childhood", "Raising a child's interest and love for the book"
‒ "Mailbox" (where parents put their questions and wishes in writing).
They allow teachers to study the state of introducing the child to the book in the family, clarifying the educational needs of parents, establishing contact with its members.
Cognitive forms of work are designed to acquaint parents with rational methods and techniques for familiarizing preschoolers with children's literature, form practical skills for interacting with children.
The teacher conducts individual consultations and conversations with parents on specific topics that are important for a particular family (how to involve a child in listening to books, what literary places can be shown to children on a day off, how to use a book to develop coherent speech).
It is very important when advising parents to show how to work with the book. It is necessary not only to read it to the child, but also to consider the illustrations together, invite him to answer questions on the content of the text, focusing on determining the actions of the characters, evaluating their actions in a given situation, suggest retelling the content of the tale (story), answer what is depicted on the picture.
At parent meetings, the teacher introduces parents to the group's reading interests identified during the conversation with the children, highlights the existing problems, talks about the dangers of early accustoming the child to TV, video, computer games, about the inadmissibility of replacing them with direct communication between the child and parents. It is necessary to convince them that the child should not be watching TV for more than an hour a day, watching everything. The main attention should be paid to how important it is for the upbringing of a preschooler - the viewer, to watch children's TV shows, performances together with their parents and their subsequent discussion.
And the most important condition for introducing children to reading is their own example. Only Reading Parents Become Role Models
An important form of work to introduce children to reading is a seminar - workshop. The seminar examines and discusses various issues related to children's reading, tells about its significance, the quality of modern children's literature and other problems. For example, at a workshop on the topic “Learning poems with children”, parents are provided with information and practical recommendations on how to choose poems according to the age of children, how to teach poetry with children at home, how to develop intonational expressiveness of speech. Many are faced with a problem - children do not know how to expressively read poetry, parents teach them only to memorize the text mechanically, not paying attention to intonation.
In the course of the meeting, parents participate in the practical implementation of tasks - to read expressively, with different voice strengths, tempos, various passages of children's poems.
In the process of holding such a form of interaction as a round table, parents speak, exchange opinions, discuss current problems, for example “ Is it necessary to instill interest in the book?”.
"Open days" give parents the opportunity to see how teachers interact with children in the process of getting acquainted with the works of children's literature.
On this day, parents can get acquainted with what success the child has achieved in reading poetry, the ability to tell fairy tales, and take part in the dramatization of children's works. Parents, observing the activities of the teacher and children, can themselves participate in games, productive activities.
Home visiting also refers to cognitive forms of interaction with the family. The teacher can provide specific assistance, for example, advise where to place a book corner in accordance with the necessary requirements: lighting, its availability for independent use by the child.
The teacher on the spot can advise how to handle the book, which books to leave in the children's corner, and which ones to remove, as not suitable for the age of the child.
An interesting form of work is project work. Children, together with their parents, work on a specific topic, for example, "Books by K. I. Chukovsky." As a result of working on projects, they learn a lot about Chukovsky's work, his biography, draw illustrations for his poems, make books - little ones based on his fairy tales, models, decorations, soft toys, masks. Then, at meetings of the reader's club or at parent meetings, they present their project, talk about what they learned new, how they did creative work.
Leisure forms of organization of communication are designed to establish warm informal relationships between teachers and parents, as well as more trusting relationships between parents and children. The tasks of introducing preschoolers to literature in parent-child reading clubs are very effectively solved.
During the work of the club, consultations, open events with the participation of parents, exhibitions of children's works, literature, joint inventing of fairy tales by children and parents, joint entertainment evenings, for example, "Evening of S. Ya. Marshak", "Evening of poems about winter", a concert "Singing heroes of fairy tales", dramatizations of children's works.
Library staff can be invited to a club meeting to give advice on educating a future reader, enrich parents' ideas about children's literature, or visit the library with their parents.
Previously, there was a tradition of family reading aloud, when all family members expressed their opinion about what they read, answered the child's questions.
Unfortunately, today this tradition has practically not been preserved. The teacher needs to show the importance of this type of reading for the development of the child. It should be noted that family reading is very useful not only for fiction, but also for reference books and encyclopedias.
If little whys and whys will have questions from the world of technology, nature, you can always read reference books together.
An interesting form of the club's work can be the creation of family libraries. Invite parents of pupils to bring their books, albums from home libraries to kindergarten.
Thus, children will be able to see very old copies, baby books and giant books; albums dedicated to technology, fashion, sports, which their parents began to collect, old children's magazines. The children are happy to learn that their mothers, fathers, grandparents also loved and love to read books.
In addition, at parent meetings, conferences, parents talk about how they teach children to read, at what age, what is interesting for children and themselves. Thus, the exchange of parental experience in attracting children to the book in the family is carried out.
As a rule, events such as quizzes and literary entertainment are very interesting and exciting.
Parents can show ingenuity and imagination in various competitions.
They can act as direct participants: participate in writing a script, read poems, sing songs, play musical instruments and tell interesting stories.
Such a form of work as competitions of children's drawings and crafts is widely used. When creating works, children and parents unite in joint creative activity.
Children are not only proud of their work, but also appreciate the creativity of others, guess familiar fairy tales and poems, remember the content of the works.
The main task of visual-informational forms of work is to acquaint parents with the content and methods of introducing children to the fiction of children in a preschool educational institution (group).
Information can be presented in the parents' corner in the form of lists of literary works indicating what will be read in joint activities in kindergarten and what is recommended for home reading.
On the stands for parents, it is advisable to place tips, wishes on how to organize the reading of a child at home, under such headings, for example: “A fairy tale in a child’s life”, “How and when to tell fairy tales”, “What and how to talk with children after reading a book. A permanent column can also be presented here: “New items in children's literature” with information about new books, with a brief annotation to them. You can offer parents memos, recommendations, folders, sliders.
And in conclusion, we note that if a child grows and develops in an environment where conversations, listening, reading are the norm of everyday life, then even at school he will be interested in meaningful and versatile information that can be gleaned mainly from books, he will grow up enthusiastic and naturally formed reader.
Basic terms (automatically generated) : parent, child, children's literature, book, family reading, family, form of work, future reader, kindergarten, home reading.
Books about kindergarten to help your child adapt
Contents of the article
- Why read books about kindergarten with your baby?
- Lama in kindergarten without mother | Anna Dewdni
- Matyusha goes to kindergarten | Irina Zartaiskaya
- Everyone in the garden! | Masha Rupasova
- Connie goes to kindergarten | Liana Schneider
- Stop - Kindergarten | Natalia Karpova
- Green Street | Esfir Tsyurupa
- Ushastik Bear in kindergarten | Cheslav Yancharsky
Why read books about kindergarten with a baby?
Kindergarten is the first big and important stage in a child's life, going out into the world, the first society. Unfortunately, getting to know an unfamiliar environment doesn't always go smoothly, and that's okay. After all, every baby is a separate person! Someone from the first day runs with pleasure to the teacher, and someone is worried and wants to stay with their parents. Books about kindergarten will help you adapt.
We have collected the most interesting of them. Reading together and preparing for a new life stage will help the child to more easily survive the changes.
Lama in kindergarten without mother | Anna Dewdney
Anna Dewdney is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. Her series about baby Lama, published by Career Press, helps young readers cope with many fears and problems. One of the books in the series is called "Lama in the kindergarten without a mother." It is useful to read the book to the child before the first visit to kindergarten. Together with Lama, the kid learns a lot of interesting things about life in kindergarten. Funny poems will calm the child: he will understand that he will have many activities, new friends, and his mother will definitely take her beloved baby home in the evening. The book helps to overcome the main fear of the child - "mom will not come for me." Will definitely come!
Matyusha goes to kindergarten | Irina Zartaiskaya
This book also describes the first day of a child in kindergarten.
His hero Matyusha is worried, he is in a new place without mom and dad, alone for the first time ... Or not alone, but with good friends? The book published by "Clouds" focuses on the main anxieties of a small person in a big world. Separately, it is worth noting the work of illustrator Anastasia Arushanova. Her drawings made the story of Matyusha even more colorful and vibrant. Every child at first can miss his parents, home and the usual daily routine. But getting used to the new is easier if the baby knows what awaits him in kindergarten.
Everyone to the garden! | Masha Rupasova
AST Publishing House gave children a book by everyone's favorite network poet Masha Rupasova with illustrations by the artist Agata Harutyunyan. These kind and funny poems about kindergarten and the end of summer will be loved by readers of any age. The heroes of the book in kindergarten indulge, eat snow, have fun and sometimes feel sad. A kindergarten from the world of Masha Rupasova is an amazing place full of adventures.
This book will help to interest the child in kindergarten. The kid will go with pleasure to where he will find many new experiences, acquaintances and the opportunity to fool around moderately sometimes.
Connie goes to kindergarten | Liana Schneider
Connie is a favorite of children. A series of books about this cute girl from the Alpina.Children publishing house is incredibly popular all over the world. In this book, three-year-old Connie goes to kindergarten, where a lot of interesting things await her. The heroine of this book infects with her inexhaustible optimism. Despite a little excitement, she is ready for her first day of kindergarten. It turns out that playing with the guys is very exciting. Connie is looking forward to going back to kindergarten. Some of the realities of this book may seem unusual to kids. For example, Connie takes a snack from home with her, but this is forgivable, because she lives in another country. But Connie also loves her mother, dreams of making new friends and knows how to play fun.
Stop - Kindergarten | Natalia Karpova
The Enas-kniga publishing house gave readers a collection of merry and touching poems by Natalia Karpova with illustrations by Irina Avgustinovich. The stories of the characters in this book are close and understandable to kids. Their author understands the problems of the "small people", does not turn a blind eye to them, but makes them big and important. At the same time, every trouble has a solution. The rain will end, you can make peace with a friend, and cold prickly snow is a harbinger of a joyful new year with Santa Claus and gifts. Folding and easy-to-remember verses can be tried to learn by heart.
Green Street | Esfir Tsyurupa
The hero of this book published by Detskaya Literature really wants to go to kindergarten and tries to convince his great-grandmother and great-grandfather that he needs new friends. Excited in this story - adults. Matvey lives next to the kindergarten, is friends with the guys, together they go through many interesting adventures.
The book can be called a modern children's classic, but for many years it was not reprinted. The boy Matvey, his dog Gambrinus, the rooster Beelzebub and other characters will surely appeal to readers of any age.
Ushastik bear in kindergarten | Cheslav Yancharsky
The book published by "Eksmo" about the Ushastik bear is familiar to more than one generation of children. A cute kind bear with a twisted ear became the hero of the animated series, a series of TV shows. The illustrations were prepared by Zbigniew Rychlicki. Ushastik helps children the first day in the garden, teaches the rules of behavior in a team, although he sometimes indulges himself. Associating toys in their kindergarten with a bear, children will look forward to meeting the heroes of their favorite book. After all, their adventures are so similar to what children will actually face.
Read also:
- What should I do if my child does not want to go to kindergarten?
- Adaptation to kindergarten - how to help the baby?
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